color. A properly prepared surface should be free from grittiness, from coarse brush marks, from dents, etc., and should be hard and smooth. The amount of gloss depends on the proportions of linseed oil and turpentine in the grounding paint, and is a matter for individual preference, some grainers prefer a groundwork of a brilliant bright tone, trusting to the brown glazing color to break it down, others prefer to have the ground of a dull color, and work a brighter tone of graining color over it. Some prefer the color mixed up with three parts oil to one of turps, others prefer the color to be made up of half turps and half oil. The former gives a hard gloss suitable for oil-graining with steel combs. For water or distemper graining, more turpentine, giving a dull gloss, is better, for this class of work two coats of varnish are ultimately required, while, if the ground is hard and oily, only one coat of varnish is necessary, as the varnish binds the pigment when the water has evaporated. A good ground cannot be obtained by the use of dead or flatting paint, there must always be sufficient oil in the color to allow it to be thoroughly spread and laid off, and so ensure the absence of coarse brush marks. The color of the ground is determined by the wood about to be imitated. Correct judgment as to the combined effect of ground and graining colors is the result of much careful observation and experience.
The preparation of the woodwork has been already mentioned. Rough and imperfectly got-up woodwork is often grained in imitation of oak, the graining being supposed to hide the defects, but to obtain a serviceable grained surface, a smooth ground is essential. Ordinary woodwork as it comes in its rough state from the carpenter can be filled up or levelled in the following manner: First, well rub it down with glass-paper, and then remove the dust with a painter's dusting brush. Coat any knots with the transparent varnish known as patent knotting, when this is dry, prime the wood with a paint made by mixing together three parts
